‘Moment of madness’ flytipper and car litter lout slapped with fines this week

Posted on: 21 December 2018

North Devon Council is continuing to tackle flytippers and litter louts across the district, with two successful prosecutions this week totalling almost £3,000.

On Tuesday 18 December 2018 Mr James Lehan, a builder from Bideford, pleaded guilty to flytipping under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The prosecution related to the flytipping two large dumpy bags of builders waste from a shop renovation in the layby at Instow during October 2018. Mr Lehan, who apologised and stated he suffered a ‘moment of madness’ was fined £1,846 for the offence, with a victims surcharge of £70. He was also ordered to pay £440 of council costs for carrying out the investigation, legal processes and clean-up costs. The owner of the shop was issued with and paid a fixed penalty for failing to obtain a waste transfer note.

On the same day, Mr Marcus Triggs of Grafton House, Taunton was prosecuted in his absence for littering, having thrown takeaway food wrappers and other litter from a vehicle on Friday 20 July 2018 in the McDonalds drive-thru on Eastern Avenue and Barbican Road, Barnstaple. A member of the public caught Mr Triggs on dash cam committing the offence and passed the footage to the council, who were able to trace the vehicle. Mr Triggs failed to attend court on two separate occasions and was fined £300 in his absence, with a victims surcharge of £30. He was also ordered to pay £324 of council costs for carrying out the investigation and bringing it to court.

Still from the dash cam footage showing takeaway wrappers thrown from the vehicle

Executive Member for Environment, Councillor Rodney Cann, says: “These two prosecutions are a warning to anyone thinking of flytipping or dropping litter in our community – we will come down hard on you when we catch you. It is very encouraging that members of our community are coming forward with information about the flytipping and littering they see going on around them and together we can bring those responsible to justice. Environmental offences will not be tolerated in North Devon.”